A-Z of key terms
Biodiversity: the variety of life on earth. The loss of species and natural eco systems is impacting on the food we eat (crop yields, the water we drink (drought) and the air we breathe (pollution, poor air quality).
Carbon footprint: the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities. Carbon is also used as a catch all phrase to include other greenhouse gases (e.g., methane, nitrous oxide).
Carbon literacy training: to develop an understanding of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis. See The Carbon Literacy Project.
Climate Emergency Framework: A framework in which an institution, organisation or country develops its own response to the Climate Crisis.
Climate change: changes in the large-scale, long-term shift in the planet’s weather pattern and average temperatures.
Climate emergency: the situation which demands urgent action to reduced or halt climate change to avoid irreversible catastrophic environmental damage and its effects on people.
EAUC: The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership is an organisation, working in the field of education whose passion is to create a world with sustainability at its heart. That’s our vision. They exist to lead and empower the post-16 education sector to make sustainability ‘just good business’. www.eauc.org.uk
Environmental sustainability: maintaining or protecting the environment by preserving natural resources.
Global climate letter: The Global Climate Letter for Universities and Colleges marked the first initiative for Further and Higher Education institutions to come together and make a collective commitment to addressing the climate emergency. Acknowledged by key Ministers during the High-Level Political Forum in New York in 2019, the letter was signed by more than 250 educational institutions and a further over 50 networks representing more than 16,000 institutions across the world and your support has been and continues to be crucial.
The Global Climate Letter is recognised as a partner to the Race to Zero by UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
Net zero: achieving a balance between emissions produced and taken out of the atmosphere.
Scope 1, 2, 3: Are three different categories of emissions.
Scope 1 are those directly under a college’s control e.g., from cars owned by the college.
Scope 2 are indirect emissions, that the college does not directly control e.g., from electricity the college purchases from a supplier.
Scope 3 are indirect emissions by activities the college pursues e.g., including travel to and from college, emissions from waste and water.
SDGs: Sustainability Development Goals – The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals to transform our world. They were designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all” and part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They were agreed by 193 countries in September 2015.
Sustainability Scorecard: sustainability scorecard is typically inward facing, focusing on tracking the internal performance of your employee projects and overall sustainability program. It focuses on three pillars: The environment, social responsibility, and economic performance.
